THE scrap for European qualification means there will be no room for sentiment when Alan Stubbs returns to Bolton Wanderers this afternoon.

The Everton veteran goes back to the place where it all began hoping to help his present club take a huge step towards ensuring a brighter future.

Victory would move David Moyes’ side above the Trotters into fifth place and in a great position to secure a top six finish, and with it a place in the Uefa Cup next season.

For Stubbs, the game will bring back memories of the formative stages of his career.

The centre-back spent six successful years at Bolton, earning promotion to the top-flight and a League Cup runners-up medal, before moving on to Celtic and then to boyhood club Everton in 2001.

A six-month stint at Sunderland apart, Stubbs has been a trusty lieutenant at Goodison, particularly this season when adding experience to a defence that only the Premiership’s top three can better.

The 35-year-old even found time to move forward and grab his first Everton goal in more than two years by heading home in the 4-1 defeat of Fulham on Good Friday.

Of course, the Burnden Park of Stubbs’ time has long gone, replaced by the Reebok Stadium where Everton can claim a decent record of only having lost twice since its opening 10 years ago.

And of today’s game, the defender said: “It’s completely different from when I was there, so I go there with no sentiment.

“It’s a massive game for both clubs.

“We want to finish as high as we can, and if that means getting results at Bolton, then that’s what we have got to do.

“Bolton are our biggest rivals at the moment because they are in front of us, but I still think Tottenham are going to have a big say in things.

“There are a couple of other teams as well, but as long as we keep doing what we’re doing, we won’t have to worry about the other teams behind us.”

Stubbs wasn’t the only Everton player ending a personal goal drought on Friday.

Lee Carsley netted the home side’s equaliser, his first strike since the 3-2 defeat at Bolton in May 2005.

“I was glad when Cars got the equaliser as I felt it was my fault for the first goal, so it was a relief when he scored and even more satisfying when I scored,” said Stubbs.

“After that, I thought it was a matter of us doing things properly and then winning the game comfortably, and we managed to do that.

“It was a great result for us. Our performances lately have been right up there where we want them, and we are coming into a bit of form at the right time.”

James Vaughan was also on the scoresheet for the first time for a game in which he has started, and has impressed Stubbs with his performances since finally overcoming the knee injury that at one point threatened his career.

“I’ve told James to enjoy himself and I think you can see that in his game,” said the defender.

“He is full of confidence, he is naïve at times and goes in for challenges that he has no right to win, but that’s youth.

“When you are young, you have no fear.

“You play with loads of confidence, not scared about who you are up against, what they are and who they are.

“He is probably a bit to too honest for his own good, but he’ll learn. Since he’s come into the team, he has done a great job.”

Those comments were echoed by Everton manager Moyes, who is likely to stick with Vaughan up front alongside Andrew Johnson this afternoon.

“James Vaughan’s progress has been great for us, and it shows how much we have missed him over the last year,” he said.

“He’s had an injury that was career threatening, so we’ve had to nurture him and choose when to bring him back, and hopefully now people will see the timing has been right and he’s bang on form.

“His finish was fabulous, but he still needs to work on his finishing.

“He had a few other chances, but you know what they say about strikers, they need to be in there to miss.”

Meanwhile, Andy van der Meyde has issued a public apology to Moyes after comments that he believed the Goodison manager was not being truthful with regards to team selection.

The winger has since not appeared in a first-team squad with his future now uncertain at the club.

However, the Dutchman has now retracted those statements and apologised to Moyes while pleading for the chance to play a part in Everton’s challenge for Uefa Cup qualification.

“I would like to take this opportunity to publicly apologise to the manager, the coaching staff and my team-mates for the way things have developed in recent weeks,” he said.

“There have been some newspaper articles and stories that have been embarrassing for me and I would like to put the record straight.

“I was quoted as saying that David Moyes said one thing to me and a different thing to the Press.

“I acknowledge that that is simply not true and I am sorry for the confusion and offence the comments caused.

“I would like to stress that at no point has the manager been anything less that 100% truthful towards me. If I have been fit and not selected for the team then I just have to accept it as part and parcel of football.

“I have had problems since arriving at Everton, both on and off the pitch, but I still feel that I can contribute something to the team between now and the end of the season.

“This is a wonderful football club that deserves to qualify for Europe and the best way I can repay everyone here is to do my best to help make it happen.

“It would be a nice way to thank the Everton fans who have treated me so well and been so supportive from the day I arrived.”